Budget Travel in Colombia: How much do you need

The country Colombia is best known for its Colombia Coffee, Emeralds, Colombian Arts, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Diversity of Flora and Fauna. The beauty of Colombia is the main reason why tourist visit the country. We will let you know the budget travel in Colombia and how much do you need per day.

People from all over the world choose to travel Colombia, but mostly people from the Western country. In this post you will know the minimum budget you’ll have to bring in Colombia. Hope you enjoy and this post can be a big help!

Is it safe/difficult to travel in Colombia

If you are traveling from a Western country like Colombia you be vigilant and act accordingly and responsibly because it is a country completely different from your culture. I’ve experienced backpacking in Colombia and my advice to you is to be cautious when withdrawing money in the ATM take a look around. And best to avoid wandering to places off the grid especially when its late. Colombia isn’t that dangerous anymore as Pablo Escobar times. So yes! It is safe to travel in Colombia.

Best time to visit in Colombia

You can go to Colombia any time of the year, even if it rains that wouldn’t be a problem especially for traveler that are quite adventurous. The months of December to February are the best time to visit Colombia because is the sunniest. It is perfect for travelers who don’t want to get stuck in the winter breeze but at these months are the peak season so expect the prices to go up. October to November are the months ideal for those working with a budget, because its is considered the low season in the country. All in all you shouldn’t have any problem traveling in Colombia because it is ideal to travel all throughout the year.

Visa in Colombia

Great news there are only 7 countries that need to apply visa before entering the country. And there are 101 countries that can enter the country visa free and can stay there for 90 days. For those countries who needs to apply for visa you can apply online it is more convenient and hassle free.

I’ve spent 9 months traveling around South America and I started my journey in Colombia. Can you imagine what you can do for the whole 3 months that you are allowed to stay in Colombia? Amazing right?

Cash in Colombia

The official currency of Colombia is called Colombian Peso (COP). And $1=3109 COP. ATM’s are available all throughout the country but my advise to you is to us those are inside the banks. And it is also advisable to withdraw as much as you can because fees for transaction tend to be higher for foreign cars. The maximum amount that you can withdraw will be around 600K COP depending on the bank.

Internet in Colombia

You can access the internet without difficulty, the country has long been urbanized. You can access in Cafe’s restaurants and some tourist spots that offer free WiFi. You can access WiFi in bus that travel long distance also. All you need is t have a power bank to charge you gadgets when it run out of battery.

There are 3 major networks in the country and these are Claro, Movistar, and Togi Une. You can buy sim when you arrived in Bogota international airport, or at the small gift shop inside the airports. It is advisable to buy outside because prices tend to be higher at the airport compared to the stores in town. You can buy the starter sim for $0.30-$1.50. You can avail a 2GB data valid for 30 days for only $13.

Food budget travel in Colombia

A total of $5-6 dollar can be your daily food budget in Colombia if you are traveling on a budget. Local food in a local restaurant will start from $3-5, and you can get snack like street foods for $1. You can buy a combination of patacones and papas rellenas with a drink for only $1. Patacones is a fried plantains and it is famous in Colombia, often paired with guacamole and other sauces. Papas rellenas is a stuffed potatoes, the taste is so delicious and you can either eat it when it’s cold or hot. The best thing about this is that it is available everywhere and anytime and the price is only $1. You can find beer for $1 in Colombia.

Accommodation budget in Colombia

We all know that Colombia has a negative image before, and now it transformed into a tourism hot spot. There are numerous hotels and B&B that you can choose from. Accommodation price can take you around $10-12 if you sleep in a dorm. This can be lowered if you choose to pitch a tent this can cost you $3-5. Your budget for accommodation will depend on how luxurious your travel would be.

Tour/Entrance Fees in Colombia

There are many things to do and many place to visit in Colombia. For example if you are into aquatic animals you can visit the Explora park, the entrance fee would be $9 and you can enjoy and encounter the scientific wonders at Medellin’s Explora Park. You can visit Laguna de Guatape for $22, you can enjoy climbing El Peñol the 700 steps every steps is worth it once you reach the top. You can visit some Ancient Ruins, National Parks and some beautiful Island that Colombia has to offer. There are also a few spots in Colombia where you can go without paying entrance fee.

Local transportation in Colombia

Taxis are cheap in Colombia, it is convenient mostly in major cities. Public buses around the cities costs around $1. A long distance bus ride can cost you for about $25-30. You can also try hitchhiking if you want to have amazing experiences as I did by myself while backpacking Colombia. There are cities like Medellin with metro and metro cable and it’s a great experience to move around the city as a tourist! You can also move with the Chiva (bus party in Colombia) where you can visit disco bars and on the way to the bars you will have the party on the bus.

Budget Travel in Colombia per day

Colombia may not be the cheapest location to visit, it is also not the priciest. The ideal budget of you stay per day in Colombia would be a minimum $30 per day. Accommodation can be around $10-12 if you choose to sleep in budget hotel or in a dorm room. $5-10 can be you minimum budget for food, depending if you wan to eat in a restaurant or street foods. And the remaining would be for transportation and the fees for some tourist spots that you may want to visit.

Ruben Arribas is a Spanish traveler who has traveled more than 70+ countries around the world. He believes in travel without money. Recently, he finished a bicycle trip, 9500 km, from Madrid to North Cape.

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